April 11, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
505 
VEITCH’S 
COLLECTIONS OF 
Superb Stocks, 
The Finest in Cultivation. 
LARGE-FLOWERING GERMAN 
MBW- WlBk. 
The most popular Stock in cultivation, producing massive 
pyramidal spikes of large perfectly double flowers of great 
substance and brilliancy. 
Collection of 12 distinct colours, separate. 2s. 6d. 
Finest mixed colours, per packet, 6 d. 
Large-Flowering Pyramidal 
TBS- m g. 
A beautiful class of strong growth and pyramidal habit, 
bearing large trusses of bloom. 
Collection of 12 distinct colours, separate, 2s. 6d 
Finest mixed colours, per packet, 6<Z. 
NEW ROBUST ROCKET 
A new distinct race of robust, very branching, and rather 
tall habit, having large spikes of splendid double flowers. 
Collection of 8 distinct colours, separate, 2s. 6d. 
EAST LOTHIAN. 
Magnificent variety, producing immense Hyacinth-like 
spikes of bloom. 
Collection of 4 distinct colours, separate,2s. Gd 
Scarlet, Purple, White, each per packet, Is. 
For full description of the above and other 
Choice Novelties, see SEED CATALOGUE for 
1891, forwarded gratis and post free on appli¬ 
cation. 
JAMES VEITOH & SONS, 
Royal Exotic Nursery, CHELSEA, S.W. 
CHRYSANTHEMUMS. 
The best collection of proved Novelties known. Strong 
plants now ready. 
CATALOGUE free on application to 
PITCHER WKILmT&IL, 
The United States Nurseries, 
HESTABS®, SWAUIIT, KENT. 
GOLDEN TEWS. 
Fine specimens, 5 to 6 ft. high, and 5 to 6 ft. in diameter,in, 
various shapes; also smaller sizes in great variety. Many 
thousands to select from. Price on application. 
H. & SOM - , 
The Nurseries, BERKHAMSTED, HERTS■ 
Grand Carnations. 
Choice named exhibition varieties, my own selection, 6s per 
dozen, post free. Cash. 
T . LORD, 
H0LEB0TT0M, T0DM0RDEN. 
R eaders of the gardening 
WORLD who experience any difficulty in obtaining the 
paper at Railway Bookstalls, or through local agents, are 
respectfully requested to communicate with the Publisher 
17, Catherine Street, Strand, W.C. 
For DAHLIAS, CHRYSANTHEMUMS, GERANIUMS, 
HERBACEOUS PLANTS, 
And other GOOD THINGS FOR THE GARDEN, read 
ERIC W. SUCH’S 
Spring Catalogue and Cultural Guide, 
Post Free on application. 
DAHLIAS! DAHLIAS I DAHLIAS I 
The largest, finest, and most complete collection ever ^ot 
together. 700 varieties, comprising every variety worth growine 
200,000 plants for sale. 
“ A very grand collection."— Vide Garden Work. 
Summer-Flowering- CHRYSANTHEMUMS a Speciality. 
Ask for Special Catalogue. 
12 Acres of HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. 
Note the Address— -. 
E, F, SUCH, F.R.H.S., Maidenhead, Berks. 
T HE CHINESE ARTICHOKE (Stachys 
tuberifera).—JAMES CARTER & CO. have grown a very 
fine lot of this new Vegetable, and beg to offer selected tubers, 
price Is. per lb., 6s. per 7 lb., 10s. 6'/. per 14 lb. Trade price on 
application. An Illustration and full Cultural Directions are 
given in their Illustrated CATALOGUE of sterling Novelties. 
Post free to intending customers. 
Royal Seedsmen by Sealed Warrants. - 237 and 238, High 
Holborn, London. 
N EW CHRYSANTHEMUMS for 1891.— 
JAMES CARTER Co. have one of the largest and 
most perfect stock in the country. For full particulars, see 
Carter’s beautifully Illustrated CATALOGUE, Gratis and Post 
Free to intending customers. 
Royal Seedsmen by Sealed Warrants. — 237 and 23S, High 
Holborn, London, W.C. 
Next Week’s Engagements. 
Monday, April 13. —Sale of Lilies, Plants, Roses, &c., at 
Protlieroe & Morris’s Rooms. 
Tuesday, April 14,— Royal Horticultural Society: Meeting of 
Fruit and Floral Committees at 12 o’clock. Sale of Mr. 
J. J. D. Paul’s Orchids at Protheroe & Morris’s Rooms 
(2 days). 
Friday, April 17.— Sale of Imported Orchids at Protheroe & 
Morris's Rooms. 
For Index to Contents & Advertisements, see p. 514. 
“ Gardening is the purest of human pleasures, and the greatest 
refreshment to the spirit of man." —Bacon. 
SATURDAY, APRIL 11th, 1891. 
CURRENT TOPICS. 
TjT.N- Old Gardener. —Lord Tennyson has 
applied to Father Adam the term of 
“grand, old gardener.” We know nothing of 
Adam’s horticultural knowledge or 'traditional 
gardening, hut in regard to traditional age he 
was,' doubtless, worthy the term “old,” if not 
“ grand.” We read in a Hampshire newspaper 
of Saturday last, of the death at Bramshaw, in 
the New Forest, of a gardener who was most 
undoubtedly worthy of the designation “old,” 
as liis age is recorded at death as being 101 
years. We ought as horticulturists to feel 
rather proud of the fact that our craft—the 
oldest recorded in biblical story—has jrroduced 
at least one undeniable centenarian. Possibly 
it has produced many, but their names have 
not been told to the world through the medium 
of the press, as has that of James Wells, the old 
gardener in question, who was the late Mr. E. 
R. Cutler’s pet pensioner of the Gardeners’ 
Royal Benevolent Institution, and who had 
been gardener to one of England’s distinguished 
generals at Christchurch, and later to Mr. 
Shute, at Bramshaw. 
It is worthy of record that the old man, who 
was elected a pensioner of the Gardeners’ Royal 
Benevolent Institution so far back as thirty- 
one years ago, retained his faculties to the end. 
What a revolution has that long life seen in 
horticulture, as in public matters ! When the 
world was convulsed with the news of the 
French Revolution of 1789, James Wells was 
a child of two years of age. How interesting 
it would have been to learn from his lips 
something as to gardening in the days of his 
youth, when he began to work with the 
beginning of the present century. We have 
indeed gone ahead since that day, but with 
astounding rapidity since the commencement 
of the latter half, and ere that half finally 
closes we shall see yet great strides in 
horticultural progress. 
The great age to which James Wells attained 
naturally provokes inquiry as to the healthiness 
or otherwise of horticultural occupations. 
These, however, have their dark as well as 
their bright side in their varying phases of 
existence, which are not all sunshine. Perhaps 
the occupation is on the whole fairly healthy, 
but still we can but regard the 104 years old 
James Wells as a rare occurrence. 
^echnical Education. — -The allocation last 
year in a somewhat unexpected fashion 
of nearly half a million of pounds by the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer to the various 
County Councils for technical education, 
naturally found these bodies in an extremely 
unprepared condition to utilise the gift. As 
a result there have been some eases in which 
the gift has been hung up for future use 
educationally; in other instances the authorities 
have applied the sums received in relief of rates, 
temporarily; and where there were no schemes 
or institutions founded previously it was hut 
natural that the large sum allocated should 
have come as a kind of white elephant. 
However, we hope now that the various 
authorities have had a little breathing time 
and some opportunity for further considera¬ 
tion, we shall soon hear of advantage being 
taken of this windfall to establish technical 
schools or institutions; but especially county 
schools for the teaching, in a very practical 
way, of agriculture and horticulture. 
It is very evident, however, that inas¬ 
much as a grant of the kind named is collected 
from the Imperial taxation, and is therefore 
the property of all, that it should he applied 
as much to further technical or trade know¬ 
ledge amongst the workers as amongst the 
more well-to-do; and in that respect very 
great difficulties are presented, as it is obvious 
that technical schools for the benefit of the 
working classes must be liberally distributed, 
and available of access at trifling cost. So far 
as horticulture is concerned, there is little 
reason, if land can he obtained for the purpose, 
why technical or school practice gardens might 
not be established in every considerable rural 
parish; indeed, it is obvious that until such 
is the case nothing of a very useful or 
practical nature, so far as relates to technical 
teaching in horticulture, can he done by 
County Councils. The great difficulty to be 
encountered lies in the fact that whilst, the 
money has been furnished and the County 
Councils exist, the most important authori¬ 
ties, those of parishes and groups of parishes 
or union districts, still remain in existence; 
when these are provided the provision of 
technical education in the rural districts will 
he greatly simplified. 
|The Rains. —Last week we referred to the 
winds of March; to-day we rejoice over 
the rains of April. Very badly were they 
needed, not only for the revivication of all 
vegetation, hut to give welcome change from 
the long spell of cold which has so specially 
marked the early spring. With everything so 
unusually late previously, we may now look 
for some rebound in nature, and a quick and 
glorious expansion of vegetable, and especially 
of floral life. If we have had the traditional 
March winds and dust in plenty, we may 
reasonably look for a showery April, and as 
the month has begun tints early to maintain its 
ancient prestige for refreshing rains, there is 
good reason to hope that it will keep its 
reputation. Then we may look with natural 
hopefulness for May sunshine, and after that a 
summer of bounteousness. 
If we have now passed the Rubicon of winter, 
and find ourselves descending from the colder 
heights of early spring into the vales of soft and 
beautiful summer, there will he good cause to 
rejoice, for the winter has been indeed long 
and dreary, productive of great pain and 
privation, as well as unusual destruction amongst 
vegetation. Not only is a prosperous and 
fruitful summer-time needed to enable us to 
recoup some of our losses, hut also to deaden 
the remembrance of the evils winter wrought. 
If all that should come about, our endurance of 
so hard a winter will not have been in vain, for 
a late spring and a warm summer bring myriads 
of blessings in their train. 
Tire rains have made us all again wonderfully 
busy. The harsh wind and baked soil had 
checked work appreciably, and prevented much 
